Peninsula Grammar asks parents in need of fee relief detailed questions about finances
What type of car do you own and can grandparents afford to chip in for school fees - these are some of the questions parents are facing when asking this private southeast school for fee relief amid coronavirus.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An elite private school has told parents that COVID-19 fee relief will only be considered if they prove hardship via bank statements, tax returns, and even the type of car they drive.
Concerns are growing that families struggling to pay independent school fees could withdraw children, throwing the education system into turmoil and putting pressure on state schools.
Some independent schools are already offering discounts for the next term as distance learning continues and job losses mount.
In a letter to parents, Peninsula Grammar principal Stuart Johnston says “many of our loyal families will be facing serious financial difficulties during this time and will require the support and flexibility of our school”.
But application forms for relief attached to the letter demand detailed personal information and say “a conscientiously completed application is more likely to receive consideration”.
Included are sections where parents are told to expose to the school the make and model of cars, property and mortgage costs, any government payments, and whether grandparents can help with cash.
“The School’s financial assistance policy has an underlying assumption that parents have an obligation to finance their children’s education to the extent that they are able,” it says.
A Peninsula Grammar parent said friends who had lost jobs would struggle to pay fees worth up to $28,000 a year for each secondary school child but the school was demanding a term’s notice to withdraw children.
“The need to give a term’s notice,” the parent said.
“Even if you submit your forms and you have got a Mercedes, who’s to say that you don’t need to sell it after losing your job?”
The Herald Sun approached the school for comment.
Private school income during the coronavirus has become a heated issue, with some relying heavily on fees and worried about a collapse if students are removed.
Some are offering discounts of up to 30 per cent for secondary school students and 50 per cent for primary students.
Michelle Green, chief executive of Independent Schools Victoria, said the issue “in some cases could disrupt the education of students”.
“Many schools have been approached by parents who’ve lost their jobs and fear they will have to withdraw their children from the school, or who have sought a fee reduction,” she said.
“Any exodus of students from Independent schools will place a massive and unmanageable burden on government schools – and massive costs on taxpayers.”
Ms Green said about 145,000 students were being educated by the independent sector, and “at stake is the education of children”.
MORE NEWS:
SEVEN RATION RECIPES TO BEAT LOCKDOWN BLUES
RATES ON HOLD: WHAT BORROWERS SHOULD DO NEXT